Tuesday 20 July 2010 06.00 EDT
First published on Tuesday 20 July 2010 06.00 EDT

July's Observer Food Monthly is a vegetarian special, guest edited by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney. As part of this very special event, OFM sourced a selection of vegetarian recipes from top chefs and celebrities, with everyone from Jamie Oliver to Gwyneth Paltrow contributing their favourites.

This is a versatile salad, you can use a wide range of ingredients. Below I have used all Thai items but you can stretch the boundaries a bit by adding some non-Thai stuff. I've considered horseradish, various types of lettuce and herbs and even a few pieces of pear. What is important, though, is finding good fresh ingredients – hardly a secret but imperative nonetheless.

To make the dressing, dissolve the palm sugar in the tamarind water and soy. Toast the sesame seeds and once fragrant and golden, allow to cool. Crush the sesame seeds and deep-fried shallots in a pestle and mortar and stir into the sauce. It should taste sweet, sour and only very slightly salty. It might be necessary to lighten the sauce with a few tablespoons of water. If the sauce has been refrigerated, bring to room temperature.

Combine the prepared fruits and vegetables in a bowl. While not every suggested vegetable is necessary, a good selection gives a rounded balance to the salad. Dress and serve sprinkled with coarsely crushed deep-fried chilli.

Alicia Silverstone's Moroccan couscous with saffron

I adore couscous, and this is a wonderful way to prepare it. Not only is it tasty, it looks gorgeous on a big serving plate. You can complement it with a simple salad or let it be the beginning of a feast that includes soup, hummus and veggies. This recipe serves six, but you can halve it or just make a big batch and keep leftovers in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5. Place the butternut squash, onion, carrots and courgette on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.

While the vegetables roast, bring the broth to the boil in a pan. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the butter, remaining ½ teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron and salt to taste. Cover pan and steep for 15 minutes.

Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl and add the couscous. Bring the vegetable broth back to the boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once. Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Add the spring onions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve.

Using a Benriner (Japanese mandolin) or other vegetable slicer, or a vegetable peeler, thinly shave the asparagus, making long diagonal shavings.

Put the Parmigiano in a large bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and warm water. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil to make a loose emulsion. Add the asparagus and toss gently to coat. Season with salt if necessary and with pepper and serve.

The Mexicans really understand maize like no other nationality and the following recipe is one that you will find being sold on many streets across the country. This is not about manners, knives or forks – and be warned, there are no maize workshops to help you through your subsequent addiction to this recipe. I prefer shop-bought mayonnaise for elote, and as for the cheese – Wensleydale seems the closest to the crumbly ones used in Mexico. Bottom line is you can always use a mild cheddar.

Peel the sweetcorn of its husks and threads. Boil the corn for 8 minutes in a pan of salted water.

While the corn boils, take a large plate – on one side put the grated cheese, and on the other dollop the mayonnaise. Cut the lime in half and have the chilli ready. If you have the chipotle chilli powder great! Otherwise hot smoked paprika will get the job done.

When the cobs are ready, take them out of the water. Holding each one with a tea towel, drive a skewer into the stem end. Holding it by the skewer, roll it first in the mayonnaise thoroughly and then in the grated cheese. Sprinkle it all about with the chipotle powder or smoked paprika. Finish it with a little squeeze of lime juice and some more salt. Relish not only the taste but also the mess you are creating.

Mark Hix's elderflower ice cream

Rich and creamy, with a subtle fragrance, this is the perfect ice cream to serve with summer berries and fruit jellies. It is best eaten on the day it is made, though it can be kept in the freezer for a day or two.

Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, then pour on the milk, whisking as you do so. Return to the pan and place over a low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, using a whisk, for about 5 minutes, until the custard has thickened lightly, but don't let it boil.

Pour the custard into a bowl and whisk in the cream and elderflower syrup. Leave to cool, then churn in an ice cream machine until thickened. Scoop into glass bowls and serve, with summer berries if you like.

This is a relaxed version of one of my star restaurant dishes. The simple marriage of beetroot and goat's cheese works beautifully and the glaze adds a lovely complexity. it's a very easy dish to put together.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Trim the tops and roots from the beetroot, chop the trimmings and put them into a saucepan. Cut off and roughly chop a quarter of 1 beetroot; add to the pan. Loosely wrap all the rest of the beetroot in foil, sprinkle with a little salt and bake until tender when tested with a knife (1-1½ hours). Unwrap and leave to cool.

In a small bowl, mix the goat's cheese with the milk using a fork to loosen it slightly. Cover and refrigerate.

For the walnut dressing, toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until light golden brown and starting to give off a nutty aroma. Tip into a bowl and add the herbs, garlic, wine vinegar and olive oil. Stir to combine and season with salt to taste.

Peel the cooled beetroot and set aside; add the skins to the other trimmings.

To make the glaze, pour 200-300ml water over the beetroot trimmings – just enough to cover them. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the water is deep red in colour. Strain, discarding the trimmings, and return to the pan. Whisk in the honey, wine vinegar, olive oil and some salt. Simmer until reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the beetroot into wedges. Toss into the pan and gently move them around with a spoon to coat with the glaze and heat through, about 3-5 minutes.

To plate: Place a ring of beetroot wedges on each plate and drizzle with the glaze. Dollop the goat's cheese in between and spoon on the walnut dressing. Arrange the salad leaves decoratively and sprinkle with a few drops of olive oil and a little sea salt.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the asafoetida, bay leaf, panch phoron and chillies; cook over a low heat for about 1 minute.

Add the onion and cook until soft and golden. Stir in the turmeric, cumin and coriander, along with the salt, sugar and ginger paste. Give the pan a stir, add a splash of water and cook for another minute.

Add the squash, and pour in 150ml water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer until the squash is cooked through, around 15-18 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas, garam masala, fennel seed powder and a splash of water. Cook for another minute and serve. The dish should be moist but not gravied.

• Anjum Anand's I Love Curry (Quadrille, £17.99) will be out in October

Thomasina Miers's summer tacos with courgette and corn

I love this filling. Lightly sautéed courgette and corn flavoured with fresh summer herbs. What could be simpler?

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan and add the oil. When it is hot, add the shallots, garlic, corn, chilli and courgette. Fry, stirring all the time, until the vegetables are gently coloured on all sides and the onion is translucent. It is delicious if the courgette still has a little bite. Stir in the herbs, squeeze over the limes and season to taste. This is really good sprinkled with a little crumbled feta.

Marinate the figs in the red wine and port – leave for at least half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Cook the onions in the butter very slowly until translucent. Add the figs, wine and port and reduce until syrupy, then set aside.

Cook the beetroot in plenty of salty water until tender. Remove from the pan, peel and slice into 5mm rounds.

Roll the puff pastry into a 5mm sheet. With a 9cm pastry cutter, cut 4 rounds. Place the puff pastry rounds on a lightly oiled baking tray, place another heavy tray on top (to stop the puff pastry rising too much), and blind bake in the oven for 12 minutes.

While the pastry bakes, mix the St Tola with the garlic, thyme, and milk to form a paste, then season with salt and pepper. Remove the pastry bases from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Then assemble the tarts: on top of each pastry base place a spoonful of the figs and onions, then a couple of slices of beetroot, then a dollop of cheese. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Drizzle a little of the remaining fig and onion syrup around each tart and serve at once.

Clare Smyth's spiced aubergine salad

Dice the aubergine into 2.5cm square pieces and salt them for 2 hours. After the 2 hours, dry them off on a clean towel then deep-fry them until golden brown. Leave to cool on kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil.

Finely slice the shallot and sweat down in a saucepan, add the cumin, cook out for 30 seconds, then add the tomato purée and cook out again for 2 minutes on a low heat.

Add the tomato juice and cook for a further 2 minutes, add the raisins and the aubergine, mix well and check the seasoning. Leave to cool.

When the mix is cool, add the chopped parsley and fresh tomatoes. Serve at room temperature with some crusty bread and mint yoghurt.

Clare Smyth's spiced aubergine salad

Dice the aubergine into 2cm square pieces and salt them for 2 hours. After the 2 hours dry them off on a clean towel, then deep-fry them until golden brown. Leave to cool on kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil.

Finely slice the shallot and sweat down in a saucepan, add the cumin, cook out for 30 seconds, then add the tomato purée and cook out again for 2 minutes on a low heat.

Add the tomato juice and cook for a further 2 minutes, add the raisins and the aubergine, mix well and check the seasoning. Leave to cool.

When the mix is cool add the chopped parsley and fresh tomatoes. Serve at room temperature with some crusty bread and mint yoghurt.

Trim and wash the beetroot well. Place in a suitable pot to steam until quite cooked through and tender. When done, remove them to a bowl and when cooled slightly, rub the skin away from the beetroot. When all are peeled, cut the beetroot into large pieces, random shapes of roughly the same size.

In a bowl, whisk the sugar and vinegar until it is dissolved and add the water. Pour this light pickle over the beetroot and cover well. Refrigerate. These pickles will happily last a week in the fridge.

Bring a pan of water to a furious boil. Drop in the eggs and let cook for 3 minutes once the water is returned to the boil. Remove the eggs to a bowl of iced water and once cooled, peel carefully, storing them in another bowl of iced water.

To make the dressing, dissolve the sugar and the vinegar in a bowl. Stir in the mustard until smooth then add in the cream. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Peel the horseradish and keep covered until needed. Wash the salad leaves, dry well and keep covered.

Should chives be at hand, then slice them very thinly in readiness.

Tumble the salad leaves onto a plate, then heap the beetroot thereon. Cut the egg in half and lay upon the beetroot, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Liberally spoon over the mustard dressing and then grate horseradish all over, swiftly followed by the chives.

Trina Hahnemann's baked green and white asparagus salad

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Cut 3cm from the base of each asparagus spear, then peel the white ones only from the head down. Rinse the asparagus with the tips downwards in cold water. Place the spears in an ovenproof dish and mix well with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and some salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bake the spears for 5-7 minutes. You can then serve them as they are, hot or cold, or cut the spears into smaller pieces, making sure the lemon zest and juice are still coating the asparagus.

As a rule of thumb, vegetables that grow above the ground should be dropped into boiling, well-salted water, while vegetables that grow below the ground should go into cold water. Broad beans need no more than a minute in boiling water – asparagus the same. Peas need a minute or so more. I prefer not to refresh cooked vegetables under running water but to dress them quickly while still warm. I believe that this gives them a better flavour.

Cook the spinach by simply rinsing well in cold water and placing in a dry pan over a low heat – the water that clings to the leaves is enough to create steam to wilt the spinach. Once it is wilted, remove quickly and drain in a colander.

I always double-pod broad beans – I do not find the pale, tough, outer skin pleasant to eat. It's extra work, but well worth it. Place the spinach, peas, broad beans and asparagus and farro into a bowl and dress with olive oil and lemon.

Season with sea salt and black pepper and toss together lightly with your fingers. Again, serve quickly while the flavours are fresh.

Fry the okra for 30 seconds in very hot oil and drain on kitchen towels.

Heat the 100ml oil for the sauce, add the cumin seeds, and when they crackle add the onions and cook until they start to turn brown. Add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft and the juices dry out.

Add the chilli powder and cook for a further couple of minutes. Add the flash-fried okra and toss quickly. While stirring briskly on high heat, add the ginger, salt and dried mango powder to finish.

To give an extra touch of flavour, garam masala powder may be added at the end.

Place the lemon juice in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper, pour in the oil and whisk until all is amalgamated. Set to one the side.

With a mandolin, slice the courgette thinly, place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add some lemon dressing and mix well. Place the courgette on the plate starting from the side to the centre, forming a ring.

Place the rocket salad in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and add the lemon dressing. Place on top of the courgette in the middle and serve.

Put the mangoes in a medium-sized pan. Add 250ml water. Cover and stew for 8-10 minutes over a medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir well. (If the mangoes are not sweet enough, add the jaggery or brown sugar to make the dish sweeter.) Meanwhile put the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds into a blender. Add 250ml water and blend to a fine paste.

When the mangoes are cooked, mash them to a pulp. Add the coconut paste. Mix. Cover and simmer over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes thick. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Add the yoghurt and heat, stirring, until just warmed through. Do not let the mixture come to the boil. Remove from the heat and put to one side. Check for seasoning.

Heat the oil in a small pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to pop (a matter of a few seconds) add the chillies, fenugreek seeds and the curry leaves. Stir and fry for a few seconds until the chillies darken. Quickly add the contents of the small pan to the mangoes. Stir to mix.

Peter Gordon's chilled beetroot and sourdough soup

This chilled soup is thickened with sourdough, which gives it great body and texture.

Place the beetroot and 90ml of the vinegar in a pot with plenty of cold water to cover, add 1 tsp of salt and bring to the boil. Cook, with a lid on, until you can easily insert a knife through them. Drain and place in a bowl of iced water until they are cool enough to handle, then peel them (wearing gloves) and cut into chunks.

While the beetroot are cooking, toast the bread until golden and crisp, then tear into pieces.

Sauté the onion, garlic and coriander seeds in the oil until it is just beginning to caramelise, then add the herbs and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the chopped beetroot and the water and bring back to the boil, then put a lid on and rapidly simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the toast and give it a good stir, then put the lid back on and cook another 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, add the reserved vinegar and purée till smooth. I find using a stick blender the best method, as you can do this while the soup is still really hot. If you have to use a blender, then leave it to cool down before puréeing. Adjust the seasoning and leave to cool, then place in the fridge to chill down for at least 3 hours.

To serve, give it a good stir, then taste for seasoning – when food is served cold it usually needs a little extra salt. Ladle into bowls then dollop on the crème fraîche and shredded mint.

Peter Gordon's golden beetroot pesto with linguine, peas and mint

I prefer to use golden beets in this recipe, although you can substitute them with red ones. There are so many varieties out there it'd be worth you experimenting with them.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Wash any dirt from the beetroot then wrap them tightly in foil, either individually or all in one sausage shape. Roast for 90 minutes then poke a skewer or thin sharp knife through the foil to see if they're cooked – it should go through with the tiniest resistance. Once they're cooked, open the foil up and plunge into iced water to cool for 5 minutes, then rub their skins off with your fingers or a sharp knife. Dice 2 of them to be tossed through the pasta, and cut the other into chunks.

Place the macadamia nuts and garlic in a small food processor and blitz to give coarse crumbs. Add the beetroot chunks, basil, tarragon and parsley and blitz for 10 seconds, then add 60ml of the olive oil and blitz again briefly. Tip into a bowl and stir in the Parmesan. If the mixture looks too dry then mix in a little extra olive oil. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil (no need to add any oil) and drop the pasta in, then give it a good stir. Cook it until almost al dente then add the peas and boil another 2 minutes before draining into a colander. Tip into a large bowl, or back into the pan, add the diced beetroot, remaining olive oil, the mint and ⅔ of the pesto. Mix it together really well, divide among your bowls, then dollop on the remaining pesto. Offer extra grated Parmesan as you serve it.

Peter Gordon's mushroom and seawood broth with shiitake dumplings

You can save time by buying wonton wrappers instead of making your own dumpling dough, but the five-spice adds a great flavour.

Make your dumpling dough first. Sieve the five-spice with the flour on a work surface, making a well in the centre. In a small bowl whisk the egg and oil together with a few pinches of salt and pour into the well. Using your fingers, mix the egg mixture into the flour and bring it together to form a dough, then gently knead for 30 seconds. It should be moist but not sticky – add more flour if it's too wet. Wrap in cling film and put to one side in a cool place (not the fridge) to rest for an hour.

Thinly slice the shiitake caps, then fry two-thirds of them in a little sesame oil (preferably in a non-stick pan as it'll need less oil), stirring all the time, until they collapse and soften. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the soy then take off the heat and mix in the spring onion.

Take 8 small marble-sized lumps of the dough and flatten between your fingers to form a disc, then either roll out on a lightly floured work surface or use a pasta roller to get the disc quite thin. Place a spoonful of the shiitake mixture in the centre, lightly brush the outer rim of dough with a little cold water, then fold one side over to the other. Press down gently but firmly to expel any air. Use a fork dipped in a little flour to secure the seams. Lay on a tray lined with cling film while you make the rest. You'll have plenty of dough left over – it'll keep in the freezer for one month.

Soak the kombu in tepid water for 20 seconds, then wipe it gently all over with a cloth to remove the white powdery coat. Place in a pan with 1 litre cold water, the celery and the shiitake stems and the ginger peelings. Bring almost to the boil, then simmer with a lid on for 8 minutes, turn the heat off and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

Strain the stock into a wide pan, add the seaweed, ginger julienne, mirin and the remaining soy and bring to a rolling simmer. Add the dumplings and cook with a lid on, turning them over after 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook another 4 minutes with the lid ajar, gently stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning then ladle into warmed soup bowls, garnishing with the cress or chives.

• Fusion: A Culinary Journey by Peter Gordon(Jacqui Small, £25)

Angela Hartnett's arancini

This is a fantastic recipe for using up leftover risotto. Filled with melting mozzarella, arancini (meaning "little oranges") are perfect comfort food. If you like, roll them into smaller, bite-sized balls and serve them as canapés with drinks.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, mix in the mozzarella and parsley, and season. If you have some truffle oil, you can add a dash of it to the mixture.

Add the risotto to the bowl and stir well. Take a heaped tablespoonful of the mixture and roll it between the palms of your hands to form a ball about 4-5cm in diameter. Set aside on a plate while you roll the rest of the mixture.

Put the flour in a dish and mix in some seasoning. Put the breadcrumbs and eggs in 2 more separate dishes. Take a rice ball and roll first in the flour, then in the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess crumbs and set aside on a clean plate. Repeat with the remaining rice balls.

Preheat a deep-fat fryer or pan of oil to 180C. Gently lower the arancini into the pan in batches and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted or wire spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately.

Heat the oil and 25g of the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the wine – it should sizzle as it hits the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.

Once the liquid has reduced, begin adding the hot stock a ladleful at a time over a medium heat, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next, and stirring continuously. The rice should always be moist but not swimming in liquid. The process of adding and stirring should take about 16-18 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter. Finish with the Parmesan, then season well and serve.

Bryn Williams's leek and egg salad

Trim the dark green tops off the leeks. Cook the leeks in a large of salted boiling water for about 6-8 minutes until tender. Remove the leeks from the boiling water and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Place the vinaigrette in a bowl, peel the boiled eggs and roughly chop to a small bite size, making sure you keep all the yolk. Add the egg and chopped chives to the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.

Cut the warm leek in half lengthways and place on a large plate. Spoon the vinaigrette over the leeks, making sure you scatter the egg evenly over the dish.